After their three practice runs with Laman Street defenders, the riot police feel ready to roam the streets of Newcastle, going from one night spot to the next, supposedly keeping us safe from drunks.
Archive for April, 2012
Armed Gunmen on Newcastle Streets 1.5.2012
April 29, 2012Move those figs 27.4.2012
April 27, 2012The shared footpath slash cycleway is heading the way of these fig trees.
Ausgrid Vandals 26.4.2012
April 26, 2012Ausgrid’s teams have destroyed a hundred streetscapes in Newcastle in recent weeks. (more…)
Million dollar footpath 23.4.2012
April 22, 2012
Two friends listened on Thursday to a Newcastle Council representative on local radio defend the apparently sudden removal of fifteen trees last week from Lambton Park.
Silky Oak Home 20.4.2012
April 20, 2012This somewhat scrappy looking silky oak may not make all of us happy, but birds love it. (more…)
Chainsaws and exposing yourself 20.4.2012
April 20, 2012
Auld lang syne
Minding my own business reading the letters to the editor in the Herald today, I read yet another sadly ignorant letter about the threatened flying foxes in Maitland.
The letter was entitled ‘Go home to the bush‘ and is from a no-doubt-well-meaning man from the Lower Hunter who wants to remove the Lorn flying fox colony using a couple of chainsaws.
He also thinks that the Chinese tallow tree would be a good replacement for the grove of trees there now. It’s a beautiful tree but a problem on the north coast near Casino and a problem in the southern states of the US; a single tree produces 100 000 seeds a year; let’s take guesses on how long it will be before it’s a problem down here.
Newcastle City Council had their first expo this week. They had 20 booths where lucky customers could talk to *cringe* council officers or *cringe again* elected councillors. 70 – yes SEVENTY – people attended which was – wait for it – more than the General Manager says was expected.
Imagine the cost in staff time. This is NCC’s attempt at increased community engagement. Wonder why they bothered with a vocal minority.
The Herald said: ‘It comes after the council has received significant criticism, mainly from grassroots community groups, about its engagement practices.
‘Mr Pearce has said since arriving last year that he wants to change the way the organisation interacts with residents and ratepayers.
”We’ve said we want to improve our engagement with the community and this event is a genuine attempt not just to inform residents about what we have planned for the city but also get their feedback on a wide range of council business,” he said.’
Keep saying it, Phil. Someone might believe you.
Your rates at work.
How long has it been since these Adamstown Park figs were mulched?
April 16, 2012I recall a year or so ago Newcastle City Council making a song and dance about mulching mature trees across town. My guess is that trees near Town Hall were mulched but not too many others. (more…)
Arborists’ opinions on poisoned Adamstown trees 15.4.2012
April 14, 2012
This is the question I asked five arborists: (more…)
Blackbutt and Dumaresq St 13.4.2012
April 13, 2012This is the email I received from the General Manager about the figs that I’ve been waiting a year for in Broadmeadow – turns out some curbing and guttering was to take 18 months… (more…)
The Fall-Out from Laman Street 13.4.2012
April 13, 2012The fall-out from Laman Street’s desertification is that all Newcastle’s large trees are in NCC’s firing line. (more…)
